This will be my last contribution to Politicus prior to the upcoming November 6th General Election. An election as bizarre as it is disquieting. An election that seems to have little or nothing to do with the process we used to call democratic. An election that’s more of a bloodless, money-dominated corporate coup than anything resembling old-fashioned campaigning and voting for the most qualified candidate.

We have a Republican presidential candidate who can’t stay in one place on any given issue long enough to give even the most infinitesimal hint as to where he stands. His name is Willard Mitt Romney and he was born into money in Detroit 65 years ago. Speaking of places of birth, Republicans are obsessed with the birth place of Obama where a one-day-old Kenyan-born Obama, knowing he would be U.S. President someday, apparently persuaded civil servants and local Honolulu newspapers some 10,000 miles distant, to lie and doctor official papers to clear the way for a Marxist Muslim’s election 47 years into the future. The ‘birthers’ have even put together a hilariously bogus video purporting to show Obama’s mom cuddling ‘Barry’ in a Kenyan hospital. Hilarious and on many levels, pathetically sad. Just so you’ll know, even if Obama was born in Kenya, he’d still be an American citizen.

Mitt Romney is a scary guy. His year-round costume is a fancy suit (made overseas of course). Scary! Especially in light of Hurricane Sandy, an unprecedented charge of nature’s volatility that has affected millions of Americans. Romney and his political minions would want to privatize FEMA (check out my colleague, Sarah Jone’s coverage of this vital issue). And there’s the global warming and climate change issue. Republican’s in their partisan low information fog, deny there’s any such thing as climate change. Every time it snows, they say “see?”. Bill McKibben, a climate change believer, activist and author writes that Sandy’s furor of rain is heightened exponentially by area seas five degrees warmer than normal. Republicans most likely are convinced the hurricane is God’s wrath over a newly opened gay bar on the Jersey Shore.

Speaking of scary, my adult son and I listened to Limbaugh for about 20 minutes (my absolute limit) on our way back from Charlotte’s Douglas International, Wednesday. In addition to agreeing with the climate-deniers, Limbaugh ripped New Jersey Governor, Chris Christie from stem to stern for daring to praise the President and FEMA. Limbaugh, who in his role of official Republican Propagandist Laureate, is arguably wealthier than Romney. Forbes magazine pegs last years earnings alone at $69 million. His primary order for the day I was listening, in addition to the points just mentioned, was apparently to spin the major polls to appear that they were all trending Romney, no matter how far the challenger trailed Obama.

I noticed that at the end of most sentences, Limbaugh appeared to sound breathless. That can be a consequence of microphone placement or he may have health problems nobody is talking about.

As the election looms, the last two political bullets in the Romney chamber are going to be jobs (or lack thereof) and gridlock. Incredibly, Barack Obama is going to be blamed for the congressional gridlock that has marked all 4 years of his presidency. And all Romney has to do is just say the word, ‘gridlock’ sans explanation. Nowhere, of course, is there even a scintilla of truth to that absurd charge. Of course that lie follows hard on the heels of the Jeep moving to China whooper that Romney continues to repeat, though it’s been debunked by all of the principals involved. Romney, not Jeep, is the guy who sees to it that jobs move overseas. Not to mention his own tax-avoidance money.

Speaking of the auto industry, Mitt unceasingly renounces the president’s stimulus package at every turn even though the latest edition of the Nation magazine features an article by the greatest living investigative reporter, Greg Palast, that tracks multiple millions, maybe tens of millions of dollars a to the Romney personal bottom line as a direct result of Obama’s auto bailout. Romney pals, who will populate the White House like so many dollar-reeking cockroaches if Romney is elected, fared even better as they continue to grease Mitt’s secret donor coffers.

Mitt wants to repeal Obamacare and he’ll replace it with something he also lies about when he says his mystery plan will retain the pre-existing condition provision. I repeat, it won’t for new signees to his plan. The Republican team is targeting Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid for destruction with the remaining crumbs to be divvied up amongst Mitt’s corporate pals.

He tolerates the most extreme of hateful and ignorant comments towards women’s equality and reproductive health. His people denounce these remarks on his behalf, but they stay on the front media burner for the duration. He wants to use U.S. military might to blast his way through a corridor of at least a half-dozen Muslim countries. His election guarantees a third world war.

He has no soul for the poor, people of color, gays, most women or for those who disagree with his positions. Trey Gowdy, is the arrogant little South Carolina 4th Congressional District serial braggart House member who led the charge for the baseless, albeit successful ‘contempt of Congress’ finding against Attorney General, Eric Holder. I think he pretty much summed up the current right-wing power prurience when he was recently quoted in his hometown newspaper as saying, “…what sense does it make to be elected as a Republican and then go spend all your time trying to figure out how to keep people who didn’t vote for you happy?”

As is their strategy, the Republicans are pouring money into such critical states of Ohio, Virginia, Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Nevada among others. The Democrats are seeding the same states with a fraction of the right-wing total.

I still look for Obama to defeat Romney anywhere from 2 to 4%. If it’s closer, Obama still wins the Electoral vote. The house remains in Republican hands. The Senate race parallels the Presidential race. Close as can be. As I’ve said before, as long as the Republican’s don’t get to the 60-vote filibuster/cloture level and as long as Romney is sent packing to the Caymans, I’m satisfied. In any event, look for two more years of suffering the outrageous fortunes of genuine gridlock, Tea Party style, even though diluted. Then even the low information types ease out of the ether into the real world in the 2014 mid-terms as they finally affix the blame for their declining wages and lost opportunities where it belongs.

Then, for two years at least, President Barack Obama will finally get his due.